The 225-issue Nikkei Stock Average edged up 50.32 points, or 0.19 percent, from Friday to close the day at 26,526.82.
The broader Topix index of all First Section issues on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, meanwhile, gained 10.69 points, or 0.57 percent, to finish at 1,886.93.
Trade was choppy throughout both sessions, local brokers said, as investors were caught between hopes that talks between Russia and Ukraine would go ahead and yield results, and fears that the fallout economically could be cataclysmic if tensions continue to intensify.
"There were no market moving catalysts except the news on Ukraine and the market fluctuated depending on that. Both indexes were lifted by hopes for the negotiations that could lead to a ceasefire," Shigetoshi Kamada, general manager at the research department at Tachibana Securities, was quoted as saying.
Other strategists said investors were concerned about the rise of crude oil prices as a result of sanctions and the possibility that this could catalyze the U.S. Federal Reserve to take action to combat skyrocketing inflation.
"Investors are concerned that sanctions against Russia may lead already elevated crude oil prices to rise further, which is not only negative for the economy, but may also spur the U.S. Federal Reserve to take a hawkish stance due to soaring inflation," Yutaka Miura, senior technical analyst at Mizuho Securities Co., said.
The market is keenly eyeing upcoming testimony by Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and his peers and their opinions on how the Russia-Ukraine geopolitical situation could affect U.S. economic and monetary policies, brokers here pointed out.
By the close of play, marine transportation, nonferrous metal, and iron and steel issues comprised those that gained the most, and issues that rose outpaced those that fell by 1,732 to 400 on the First Section, while 47 ended the day unchanged.
Owner of the Uniqlo chain of casual clothing stores Fast Retailing helped prop up the broader market, adding 0.1 percent, while fellow Nikkei heavyweight SoftBank Group regained earlier losses to close 1.1 percent higher.
Energy-oriented issues continued their ascent on the likelihood that crude oil prices would continue to soar, with Cosmo Energy Holdings jumping 2.6 percent, Idemitsu Kosan rising 0.8 percent, while exploration giant Index closed 2.6 percent higher.
Among notable decliners, Japan Tobacco, which shuttered its factories in Ukraine last week, slumped 3.6 percent by the close.
On the main section on Monday, 1,448.22 million shares changed hands, rising from Friday's volume of 1,338.99 million shares.
The turnover on the first trading day of the week came to 3,449.79 billion yen (29.85 billion U.S. dollars).
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